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After 4 great years in our lovely big 6 man tent it's coming up time for a new tent. Our kids are both 12 yrs and love each others company. They currently share a two man inner in our big tent. When looking at the new tents we considered buying a 4 berth for us with decent living area and a 2/3 berth tent for them.

We are both confident at allowing our children to sleep in a seperate tent, but are concerned about site fees, pitch sizes etc. For example would we be charged double for having two tents and would that then mean we get the space of two pitches!

Anybody with any experience please help

Quite a few sites charge per person, rather than per tent, so no problems. Other sites charge per unit with two persons. However, quite a few sites will also allow you to have a pup tent on the same pitch as your main tent without an extra charge

When we had a tent and a pup we were always charged extra - even though it was for our two daughters who would otherwise have been in the big tent with us.

This is why we went up to bigger tents.

I've defended campsite owners recently on other threads, but I hate the way we're charged for a pitch, then for extra people (i.e. our kids), then a pup tent, then an awning, then a dog etc. etc.

The end price can be twice the base price sometimes - I'm not stingy (well not much), I'd just like a clear price.

The site in Dorset I use for family camps charges (I think) ten pounds for the big Aruba and five pounds per small tent regardless of how many people are in them, we had three small tents this year.  I had one person in the Aruba, two people in two of the small tents and one person (me) in one of the small tents.  Works out at just over six quid per person which I reckon is pretty good.

The site doesn't have pitches as such because it's all lumps and bumps so you pitch where you can.

It might be worth your while continuing to use your six person tent rather than "downsizing" as it will give you a bigger "day" tent for rainy evenings and lots of storage space.

Take care.

R

Wifes  booked us for a couple of nights with our tin tent. (on a site we've previously camped with out tent) When the booking confirmation came through the post I noticed they charge £3 extra per night for an awning.

How can any site justify an extra charge for an awning. The caravan pitches (seperate from the tent field) are all sized to accept the caravan and an awning, whether we put one up or not is not going to effect them so why charge for it?

Having to pay extra for taking 2 dogs as it is, and its not like they provide anything for the dogs other than access to steep hillside that we don't use anyway as its too slippery to get up and down safely.

Only reason we go there is that the MIL likes the site and my wife went as kids for years. Given the choice I wouldn't bother with the site.

Got my grumpy head on now!

Chaz